Across the Line
by Yutyl's REquiem
Summary: Undeath. A concept which defies the natural order, the endless cycle of construction and deconstruction, perversion of immortality, mockery of 'true' death. Neither living, nor dying, deprived of their rightful peace of death, they are our worst nightmares come true. Based on Kyoko Ryuuzaki-Black Dragon's 'Crossing the Line'
1. Initial Phase

**Across the Line **

**-First Chapter-**

**-Initial Phase-**

* * *

"…_Are you sure this is what you want?"_

_He nodded, the gesture barely visible in dark background, the only source of illumination the faint blue light emanating from the large cryonic chamber placed at the centre of the room, thick black cords connected to its base, with patches of tiles pulsating in green light periodically. It was silent in the dimly lit room save for the quiet humming of the machine, the noise echoing throughout the normally pristine white, now darkened spaces of the laboratory. _

"_Yeah."_

"_I was hoping you'd reconsider – the chance of success is… _dismal, _at best, while the risks involved… it's not too late to back out now, Len."_

'_Len' turned to the speaker, "I know, I want, no, _need_, to do this. I'm prepared for the consequences."_

"_Why? If it fails-"_

"_Then it fails, and it'll be on my head. Whatever happens, though, I'll be the one to bear all the responsibilities."_

"_Why? If something were to happen to you, _she _would be left alone, surely you realise this? First her parents, now you? Is that what you really want for her? Leave her on her own? How do you think she'd feel?!"_

"…_I'm aware, and _she's _the reason why I'm doing this. I want to be stronger, strong enough to protect _her…_"_

"_Damn it, Len-!"_

_Len sighed, "It doesn't matter what you say, I'm going to get this done, one way or the other. I'm not looking back, not now."_

_Though 'his' face was barely visible in the dim lighting, Len knew that 'he' was frowning in annoyance at his stubbornness. With a light growl 'he' turned towards the computer on the side, typing in command codes into the gridlines. With a slight _beep _the cryonic pod hissed open, the chilly air permeating from within seeping out into the room, making the occupants shiver slightly, though for different reasons. _

_With shaking hands, Len undid the buttons on his shirt, slowly stepping towards the pod. Despite his resolve he was still nervous, perspiration starting to form with each step he took towards what could change his life, for better or worse. _

_He spent days, even weeks, thinking on his decisions. Weighing the options, changing his minds over and over, pacing about, deep in thought. It wasn't until few days after _that _accident that hardened his resolve. Life was short and full of unexpected turns, and watching _her _break down in tears, he decided that he would do anything, _anything, _to make sure that _she _was kept safe and happy. _

_He wasn't going to die, not here, not now. He was going to live through this, and go back to _her_. No matter what. _

_The cryonic pod hissed shut, and darkness slowly took over him, then he knew no more._

* * *

ooOoo

* * *

"WAKE UP, YOU FUCKWAD, WAKE UP!"

A tired groan was barely audible over the blare of the noise, and a hand shot out from the mass of the clumped blanket, fumbling over the edge of the desk adjacent to the bed headboard. Just where was the damn thing…?

"WAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUPWAKE UPWAKEU-"

SLAM! CRASH!

As he tried to reach for the alarm at the very far end, Len tried to lean his body out of the bed, though lost his balance and crashed on to the floor in a heap of soft quilt. Crawling out of the tangle, he rubbed his eyes, briefly throwing a cursory glance at the offensive device, unsurprised to find it completely intact, even after having his fist slam down on the damn thing. Repetitively, for years.

"Ungh… Len, get off, you're too heavy…"

A muffled voice squeaked underneath him, beneath the blanket, and Len leapt back, drawing the blanket to reveal his twin curled up hugging a pillow. Even after all these years, her sleeping habits didn't change one bit, the body pillow sandwiched between her short-clad legs, arms entwined around tightly with small rivulet of drool trailed down the corner of her lips into the cushion. She looked so cute sleeping like that, he noticed, as he did for the past seventeen years of his life. He was, however, a little thankful at the fact that _he _wasn't used as her pillow instead; he lost counts of mornings he woke up to unable to feel his legs. Sharing beds wasn't all fun and games…

…Not that he ever thought about _sharing beds _with Rin in _that way_, of course not! Still, she looked so cute and innocent, his eyes trailing down from her messy sun-kissed hair, down her pink, moist lips, to her cleavage, down her… and _wow, _her legs looked so smooth…

He shook his head furiously, determined to get that thought process out of his sick mind, though he knew it would eventually come back. It always did.

It was futile, and though he tried to ignore it, he realised that he couldn't, and these feelings only grew with each passing day. There was something so fucked up with his mind, that was for sure. He just hoped that she would never find out.

"Uh, Rin? We've got school, wake up…"

Rin groaned. Len sighed. It was their daily ritual, Len dragging his twin out of the bed (though in this case, they already _were _out of the bed and on the floor…) while she bitched on about how much school sucked, on Mondays, _especially _on Mondays. Something which he was inclined to agree, as would most teenagers around the world – school plus Mondays equals bleargh. The kind of 'bleargh' that spoke many things about their repetitive schedules, and none of them were good.

He decided to get started on the breakfast while Rin's sleep-hazed mind took its time to reconnect with the reality, putting on the toast and cracking the eggs. The rush of water upstairs told him that she was on the shower. To his knowledge Rin normally spent around five to ten minutes soaking in hot water, before applying her orange-scented shampoo and body wash. She didn't use conditioner, and never properly rinsed the suds off from the shower faucet, one of her habits that annoyed him. Ten to fifteen minutes after that, she would walk down the stairs while fixing her hair, though she never put her white bow on until she was seated at the table.

It wasn't like he sneaked a peek whenever she was behind the curtains, it was just that, living with someone close together for years, anyone would pick up these little details. Like how Len knew she preferred her orange juice on clear glass, with a small amount of pineapple juice mixed in and shaken lightly, not stirred.

Maybe he was just being observant, only when it concerned his twin sister. He certainly didn't notice anyone else, and if he were to be honest, he didn't really care about anyone else.

Smiling a little, he turned to greet his parents, "Hi mum, hi dad."

The photo leaning on the frame showed a family of four, two children, one smiling and one looking down shyly, sitting on their parents' laps. It was taken on their ninth birthday, sitting down on a bench with the roller coaster blurring past in the background, a ferris wheel in the distance. Their parents looked a lot like them, similar shade of hair and eye colour, he even had the same cowlick on the side of his hair as his father.

All in all, the family was smiling at the photo, looking happy at the occasion. Even his shy younger self looked content, surrounded by his loving family. It was the joyous moment captured on the photo, imprinted on paper to remind the twins of the good times they had.

It also reminded them of the tragedy that befell on the Kagamine family, tearing them apart. The happiness didn't last long, and the fact that anything could happen in life was like a cold water of harsh realisation to the face.

He frowned a little, there was no use in bringing up the past. Crying did nothing to bring back the dead, there was no point.

The sound of footsteps drew him away, and he turned to see Rin trudging down the stairs, the woods creaking beneath her weary steps. She brightened up when she saw her breakfast laid out on the dining table, just the way she liked it. "Mm, smells good, Len."

Len nodded happily, taking his own seat on the opposite side, quietly digging into his scrambled eggs and banana smoothie. As she started eating, Len spoke, "I've got the bento done and ready. Here."

"Aw, thanks Lenny!" He blushed a little at the praise, something she liked teasing him about, along with his efficiency in domestics. "Isn't it kinda weird, you're a guy and you're the one cooking and doing the house works, and I'm a girl, but I'm the one working in a part-time job?"

Len mock-pouted in reply. Rin giggled at his expression, and poked his cheek for good measures, "Aw, it's okay, Lenny! You know I'm just messing around with you, right?"

Len harrumphed, "You little…" with an evil gleam in his eyes, he stood up, eyeing Rin with a strange look that almost looked… _predatory_, sending shivers down her spine. "Uh, L-Len? H-hey?"

Len jumped at Rin, causing them both to crash down on the floor, and with his twin pinned underneath him, he decided to extract his 'revenge' on her. His fingers twitched in anticipation…

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Rin laughed, tears forming in her eyes as she squeaked and struggled to throw her torturer off, who only tickled her harder. "L-Len! Hahahaha! S-s-stop, already! Get off! Hahahahaha!"

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Len smirked, not relenting in his physical administration.

"I'm sorry, just get offff! Hahahaha!"

Having decided that it was enough, Len stopped his tickling, though instead of getting off, he lied down on her chest, eliciting another yelp from her at his gesture. "Len! What the fuck, get off!"

"Why? You're so comfy…"

Though he couldn't see it, he knew that she was rolling her eyes. "Yeah, you'd think so, move it, you jerk!" she huffed, though there was no anger in her voice.

"Hey, looks goooood from where I'm at." He smirked lightly as her breasts were right up close in his eyes.

"Perv."

"I know."

"…"

"…"

"Okay, so get off, we've got school, remember?"

"Yeah, but you skive off most of the time, so it makes no difference whether you go or not."

"Fuck you, Len. Get off, or I'll shove your head through the door."

"Violent…" he muttered. Rin simply shove him off, giving him the finger while she was at it. Picking up her bag and smoothening the wrinkles on her uniform, she walked out the door, Len following not far behind. It wasn't anything unusual for the twins, suggestive remarks and innuendos weren't certainly the worst they could do. Just their own way of expressing sibling affection, nothing more.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself, convincing that it was just a really, _really _strong family love he had for Rin, and even if it wasn't, a silly crush that would eventually fade away.

Though he very much doubted it.

* * *

ooOoo

* * *

The school day started out as it usually did; slamming the classroom door open and announcing their grand entrance, taking their seats at the far corner, and Rin chatting with her friends while he put on his headphones and turned the music volume up to drown out the cacophony of noise that was people talking.

As the bell rang when the hour hand pointed to twelve, Rin, unsurprisingly, was the first to practically leap out of her seat and sprint out of the classroom, though not before dragging Len along with her to the cafeteria. Claiming their usual table-for-two on the patio outside the canteen, Rin held out a glass of vanilla milkshake, which he took with a smile. The twins then chatted about nothing in particular as they ate, with occasional teasing and trading barbs just for the fun of it.

"So what're you gonna do now?"

Len chewed slowly before he answered, wouldn't want to spray her with partially broken-down food constituents, "We've got that science homework to finish, so I'm heading to the library after this. You coming?"

Rin snorted, "Ew, no way! Besides, that's due like, what, this Friday? We've got loads of time to finish it, so why bother?"

"You mean, you just copy off my work, like you always do."

"Damn straight."

Len sighed, "Can't you actually _try _doing homework on your own for _once, _Rin?"

"I do!"

"Photocopying my homework and handing it in as yours doesn't count, you know."

"We're twins, as far as anyone's concerned, we have same handwriting."

"Nah, yours is really messy, it looks like you just barfed ink all over the page."

"Fuck you, Len."

"All in good time, Rin."

Rin rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "You wish, damn perv."

'_Yeah, I do.' _Not that he'll ever say that out loud. Realising that he was approaching the danger zone he decided that the change of subject was in order, "So when are you ditching school? After lunch?"

"Dunno, probably."

"Seriously?"

"Uh, yeah? Duh?!"

Len shook his head, "You're impossible…"

Rin grinned, "Nah, I'm just that awesome. Besides, you like it when I open the door and say, "Welcome home, Len!" right?"

He did, trudging back home after a long day at work – I mean, school – and his sister waiting on the doorstep, opening it even before he could take his shoes off, and glomping him with that bright smile on her face was more than enough to put him in good mood. It almost felt like…

"It almost feels like we're married or something…" Rin trailed off, a light blush on her face. He couldn't help but feel his face turning red, now that she said it, it actually sounded… nice. She wasn't really far off, either, they slept together, lived on their own, and bickered and laughed together. In a way, it did feel like they were already a married couple, minus the rings and the whole exchanging-the-vows things.

Awkward silence ensued, with the twins looking away, flushed. It wasn't until they noticed the time that broke the tension between them, and soon both looked as if nothing happened.

"Anyways, I'll be in the library, so-"

"RIN-CHAN!"

An excited voice called out, and before she could even register the speaker, Rin was glomped by a blur of green before being swept in a bear hug.

"Ack! You idiot, get off!"

Pouting, Gumi stepped back, before huffing, "That's not very nice, Rin-chan! I haven't seen you like, a whole day, and this is your way of saying 'hi'?"

"School started only three hours ago, so that's not a 'whole day'. Get it right, geez!"

"Uh, um…"

"Oh hey, Len-kun! Mind if I steal your sister for a little while?" Gumi turned to the flabbergasted male blonde, who's oh-so intelligent reply was, "Uh, wha-?"

"Great! Don't worry, you'll get her back, I don't go around stealing other people's wives." She winked at Len, laughing when he blushed harder. Her laughter doubled when Rin also sported similar look, and decided to mercilessly tease her friend later. For now, though, she and Rin needed some girl time, so not waiting for her friend she grabbed Rin's hand and dragged her away to… somewhere. Wherever it was, Len neither knew nor cared much to find out. Gumi and her antics…

* * *

ooOoo

* * *

It was nice and cool inside the library, a refreshing change from the oppressive summer heat. What with the sunlight hot enough to cook the asphalt foundation outside, the air conditioner was a godsend, especially turned on at full blast, expelling cold air which many studious adolescents found welcoming.

Len was no exception – it sure beat reading outside with sweat running down his body inside his black school uniform. That, and he just couldn't handle heat very well, and the dark cotton articles of school regulation did little to improve that.

The library itself was rather impressive; two floors with rows of shelves full of books of all kinds, gleaming obsidian tiles, and large panes of glass replacing the walls where the seats were. Originally it resembled more like a single-storey warehouse, with old wooden walls with the paint chipping away. It wasn't until the earthquake that torn down the ancient construction that the school board of trustees butted their heads together and decided to wipe the slate clean and start anew. The newly constructed library was of modern architecture, harmonised integration of glass, obsidian and steel. Something which they took great pride in.

At first many students flocked to the site to admire the view, marvelling at its quality and texture, though number of visitors dwindled as time went by, until only those who sought after knowledge and information dropped in regularly, seeking sanctuary among the vast fields of paperbacks.

Len himself was one of them, sometimes to read, though sometimes to get away from the crowd and the noise for moments of silent reprieve. Here, his irrational fears of being the centre of scrutinizing gazes from the crowd was put to rest, if only for a while. The tranquil atmosphere did much to put his mind at ease.

He searched through the shelves, his fingers lightly tracing over the spines of the books neatly lined up, his eyes scanning through the titles to find the suitable material. It wasn't easy, he was sure "Astronomy for Dummies" wouldn't meet the criteria for his homework, neither would "Idiot's guide to Meteorology". Hmm…

"Looking for something, Len-kun?"

A familiar voice called from the side, a voice he was accustomed to hearing. Lily was two years his senior, who took part-time job as a librarian in his high school. Being somewhat bookish herself, she and Len found a kindred spirit within each other, reading anything that sparked their interests. She was, in a way, his only friend, other than his sister Rin and Gumi, though she couldn't be called a 'friend', more of an acquaintance of sort. It was nice, having an older sister figure, despite the fact that he already had one (Rin was the older twin, something she liked to point out from time to time).

"Yeah, need something for science homework due this Friday…"

Lily nodded, "Rin not here with you?" She said, looking around.

Len shook his head, "She never comes into the library, you know that."

"Hmm…"

"…"

"So, what you looking for? Maybe I can help."

"You can, I need to write a report about, well, anything, really. Just make it interesting."

"Anything in science can be interesting, is there anything _specific _you're looking for?"

Len looked thoughtful, "I was thinking about the Big Bang theory, the singularity, the 'creation' of four fundamental forces of physics, transition of constituents all the way up to the atoms, space-time four dimension, that kind of thing."

"Sounds complicated, you sure you can write a report about that?" Len looked a little doubtful, "I thought so."

"So what do you suggest? You've done this before, right?"

"Uh, not really, I was on a sick leave for two weeks during then, so I was exempt."

"Damn…"

And so, the two continued to come up with possible ideas, rejecting ones that were too common ("A lot of people are writing reports about human cloning and stem cells, so no.") or too complicated ("Scientists are _still _trying to find out what exactly glial cells does, what makes you think I would know anything?!"). The pair continued to volley ideas back and forth, adding in their two cents' worth as they picked their brains for worthy subjects. The problem wasn't the lack of suitable topic, it was just there were too many to choose from.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Lily snapped her fingers in a light bulb moment, "I got it! You ever heard about that 'mysterious meteorite'?"

When Len shook his head in negative, she continued, "It was on the newspaper few years ago, I'll find you the copy, but basically, it's about how an asteroid crashed into the earth, and completely disappeared, without a trace!"

"…Okay…?"

"Get this; normally there are special systems and structures that tracks and detects possible movements of asteroids and meteoroids towards the earth, right? The thing is, this asteroid wasn't even shown on the chart, and no one ever knew it was coming until it crashed through the atmosphere and crash-landed in some remote part of Pacific Ocean. It was practically invisible in their radar, and when they sent in extraction teams they came back empty-handed. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Uh, didn't you say it was a meteorite? And wouldn't this be more of a mystery than a factual report?"

"Asteroids are the rocky chunks out in the space, you know, like the Asteroid Belt? Meteorites are the stuffs that entered the atmosphere of another object – in this case, the earth – and survived the impact. Think of it as a relic of sorts. And it's _scientific _mystery, I think that counts."

"Who are 'they' you keep referring to?"

"Those guys in NASA? I dunno, whoever stares into telescopes on the observatories and draw solar system maps, I suppose."

Len saw Lily walk off into another shelf, before returning with a roll of newspaper in her hand. Holding it out for him to take it, she said, "Take a look."

The roll of paper was yellowed and crinkled with age, making the imprinted words blurry. It was a headline, a picture of what appeared to be blank detector monitor screen. No doubt to point out that there was no picture that could be provided, hence cementing its 'mysterious' status…

Suddenly, pain erupted in his head, hammering away at his conscience with abrupt brute force. He clutched his head, his eyes screwed shut as he tried to hold in the scream as his mind was impaled by invisible blades, and amidst the sudden chaotic pain he could hear voices, cutting off at odd intervals and at different pitch, deep and high. The voices, never has he heard them, yet sounded so familiar…

_He's in a state of cardiac arrest, we have to stabilise him, now!_

_**Don't do this, Len, it's too dangerous!**_

_You know, you're a great friend, Len. I'm glad we were able to meet like this, oh and your sister, too. You two look cute together, you know that?_

_**We managed to get 'it' before anyone even knew 'it' existed. What we've discovered…**_

_This is some pretty heavy stuff, you sure you can handle this?_

_**Len…**_

_**Len.**_

"Len!"

And then, it was all over, the pain, the voices, all of it. It was silent once more, his heavy breathing and sheen of sweat on his brow the only things that served as the reminder of the strange occurrence. Crouching on her knees, looking at him with concerned look was Lily, gently wiping his face with a handkerchief as she tried to help him stand up and sit on a nearby chair.

When he was settled she asked, "Len? What happened? You alright?"

"I-I don't know…" He didn't, he was just as confused as she was. What was that all about? Those voices, calling him by his name, who were they?

"Len?"

Was it just a figment of his imagination? No, he was sure that wasn't it. It… _they _sounded all too real, just like… just like the dreams he had, like the one he had this morning…

"Len?"

What was it exactly? Could they have been… his memories? But that was impossible, how could… even though he didn't have much recollection of his past, surely that couldn't have been… but wait! Rin didn't remember much of her past either, did that mean she also…?

"Len!"

Lily shook him by his shoulders, jerking him awake from his thoughts. "You really okay? You've been spacing out for a while, I think you should go see the nurse. Come on."

"N-no, that's okay, I'm fine, just a headache, I'll be fine." Len drew back slightly, a small smile forced on his face. He doubted this was something that could be fixed with a trip to the school infirmary, unless they dealt with psychological abnormalities.

"You sure you're okay? You look kinda pale." Lily stated, looking at him worriedly.

"…Yeah, I'm fine!" He couldn't tell her, how could he? 'Hey, guess what, I just had this strange episode of flashback in my head where I could hear voices calling my name. Cool, huh?' Yeah, _that _would go down so well, and Santa Claus ate babies with hot chilli sauce.

Lily still looked unsure, but knew better than to pry, so she settled down for a nod, and luckily acted as if nothing happened. Try as she might, the elephant in the room was too big for them to ignore, so the rest of the conversation were half-hearted, and soon Len took his leave, walking a little faster than normal.

According to his watch, the next class would start in less than ten minutes, though school was the farthest thing in his mind now. He wasn't normally one to bunk off, but he just needed some time to clear his head, and listening to the teachers droning on about rate-determining steps would only make things worse.

Thanks to the little incident, the library was no longer an option, at least, not today. So that pretty much left him with the option of going home. He felt a little guilty at cutting classes, but hey, even good students like him deserved a day off, right? Besides, Rin ditched classes all the time, only staying long enough to eat lunch, then sneaking out to play video games at home. Typical…

He was just about to reach the school gate, when a hand gripped his shoulder and roughly pulled him back, throwing him to the ground. Looming over the blonde teen, stood Len's daily nightmare.

"H-Hatsune-"

Gripping the collar of his shirt, Mikuo sneered, "Hello, Len-kun. Going somewhere?"

"U-um…"

"Ditching classes? Honestly, Len, that's not a good thing to do, spineless, wimpy nerds like yourselves ought to just keep your heads down like the trash you are."

"…"

"What, nothing to say for yourself?" Mikuo laughed, while Akaito smirked and Dell looking bored as ever.

"Not surprising, he hides behind his sister's shorts, fucking pussy!" leaning forward, Mikuo whispered, "You're a pussy, Len, needing a girl to protect you, you're weak, useless, I don't even know why you even bother to live."

"…"

Fed up with lack of response, Mikuo delivered a right hook to his face, the impact causing him to fall on the ground again. As Len struggled to get up, Mikuo planted a foot on his back, the hard leather sole digging into his back. Exerting more pressure on his foot, Mikuo added salt on the injury, "I wonder how your sister tastes like, Len. Those smooth, creamy legs, I'll bet she's a slut right off the bat, and she'll beg me to fuck her like crazy, screaming my name in pleasure, how's that sound?"

Something cracked in Len's conscience, and before he knew it he slugged the smug tealette on the face, hard enough to make him stagger back. Said tealette looked at him with a mixture of shock and anger, seeing how Len _never _once hit him back. And that was when he insulted his sister, too. Interesting…

"Heh, looks like you're not a complete coward, after all!"

Len growled, "Talk about my sister like that again, and I'll…"

"You'll what? Run to your sister and cry?" Mikuo jested, while Akaito walked up to him, cracking his knuckles. "Face it, Len. You're weak, pathetic, and that's what you'll be; a loser, for the rest of your life. If you can't even protect yourself, how can you even say you'll protect your sister?"

Len frowned, trying not to show how much it hurt, the fact that it was more or less true made it even worse. As Mikuo and Akaito walked up with fists clenched, they were cut off when Rin entered the fray, "Get off my brother, you fuckwads!"

'_Rin. She's here, how did she know?'_

"Ah, Rin, you look radiant as ever." Said Mikuo in his sickly sweet voice, making Len almost gag at the tone. "I must say, those clothes look great on you, such a beauteous sight…" as if to emphasise his point he ran his eyes up and down her frame lecherously, taking his time looking at her rather short skirt.

Rin's frown deepened at his blatant display of sexual harassment, and decided to get her points across, "Watch it, sick fuck! And leave my brother alone!"

"Ah, Rin, even when you're angry, you're still adorable, you know that? It must be tiring for you to keep looking out for your brother, having to save him all the time. Why waste your time with _that_? Come with me, and I'll show you what it feels like to be with a _real _man." Mikuo winked suggestively, while Akaito wolf-whistled. Dell, as usual, looked away, uninterested.

Realising that words were wasted on the idiot, she decided that actions spoke louder than words, and they did, the _thwack _of her fist colliding with his head was her way of saying, 'no fucking way!'

Mikuo decided that tactical retreat was in order, turning around and walking away, though not before throwing a sneer at Len's somewhat dejected form, hunched on the ground.

When they were finally out of the sight, Rin rummaged through her bag, and crouched down with a bag of first aid kit in her hand. Len didn't stop her as she gently caressed his face, the side where it was struck, as if she was trying to heal his wound with her touch. Her hand, it was velvet soft, surprising for someone who played a lot of sports, and warm, too. He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing on their own as he lightly gripped her hand with his.

Rin didn't pull away, simply resuming her administration, a small smile on her face as she did so. She never did this for anyone, he was the only exception. He was the only one who she readily showed her soft and gentle side, and he was grateful for this small gesture, and the things she said through it.

She didn't judge him, didn't complain about his weakness. It must've been tiring, bothersome, even, to keep protecting her younger twin, though she never once abandoned him, even when he was surrounded by people taller and stronger than him, she never left him.

"It's okay, Len. I've got you, you'll be fine."

It was ironic, really, seventeen years old and still he couldn't even man up and defend himself, and had to have his roughly-seven-minutes-older twin sister to save his ass. Mikuo was right, he really was pathetic…

"Len?" Rin asked, taking note of his sullen expression. She already knew what was bothering him, and decided to tackle the issue, "Len, it's okay, you're not weak, and you're not pathetic. You're kind and gentle, and I like the way you are now, Len. So whatever he said, don't take it into heart, okay?"

"But he's right, I _am _weak…"

"Then get stronger."

Len looked up, "How?" he asked, almost desperately.

"I… don't know, but I know you'll get stronger, stronger than me, even. I don't know when, but I believe that you can."

_**Get stronger…**_

"Get stronger…"

"Now, stand up, already! We'll put some ice on that and the swelling will go down after a while," she said, pointing to his cheek, "Then you can get started on dinner, better make it good! And make some of those orange desserts, while you're at it!"

Len smiled, it was kind of cute, flustering and bossing him around to cover her embarrassment. Still, the fact that she did for him showed how much she cared for him, and for that, he was content.

* * *

**New story! This was inspired/based on _Kyoko Ryuuzaki-Black Dragon's 'Zombie Pwnage Len!' _It was a bit of a downer when she stopped continuing the story, but since she said, "feel free to use it as a challenge," I thought, why the hell not?**

**I'm not too sure about the whole 'Len-killing-zombies-while-singing' idea, so if I do put it in my story, it'll be more like a bonus contents and omakes more than anything. **

**So, how was it? Good? Bad? Horrible? R & R!**


	2. Day -01

**Across the Line **

**- Day -01 -**

* * *

"…_the cannibal incident that took place only few months ago in Shibuya district of Tokyo still remain in the dark, the motives behind the attack have yet to be confirmed. The victim, _BZZZT _have been taken to the emergency ward for immediate treatments, though have died of his injuries mere hours later. The security camera has shown crowd of at least five ganging up on the victim in broad daylight, gnawing on his limbs and even his face. Even when the police arrived to the scene and opened fire after giving warnings, they still did not stop chewing away at the man, only fleeing when one of them has been shot. The runaways still remain at large, and people are advised to take cautions when leaving their homes…"_

"_On channel 4, the investigation for the mysterious identity of the anonymous terrorist group responsible for the nuking of San Francisco five years ago is still on-going. The governments and the Secret Intelligence Service are still tight-lipped about their progress regarding the mass genocide, though they have said that the terrorists in question have been keeping low profile, as there were no further signs of their activities…"_

The dining room-slash-living room was empty save for one blonde teen, who took in the news with interest as she munched her way through an impressive stack of toast, a large beer glass full of orange juice clutched in her hand. It was usually her twin who ever bothered with stuffs like news, Rin Kagamine preferred wreaking havoc and blowing things up, on computer games, of course. But she was bored, and the TV was already on, so why not?

The 'Zombie Attack', as it was dubbed, has been a source of concern amongst the populace, as well as a popular topic for conversations and gossips. The fact that it happened in broad daylight, where anyone could see the incident taking place made it all the more horrifying. When the footage of the assault captured on cellphone video camera was posted on Mewtube, it went 'viral' and garnered over a million views within two days. In a way, it was morbidly fascinating, like a disturbing accident that one shouldn't look, but can't turn away from.

Naturally she was worried, if only a little. As absurd as it was, what if something like that happened to Len? He wasn't exactly the strongest guy around, after all.

"Hey sis, what you watching?"

She turned to look at him, only to break into a fit of laughter at the sight, "Oh my god, what's up with _that_?!"

Len pouted, waving his spatula around as he protested, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just… Bwahahahaha!"

Len groaned, "It's pink, so what?"

"Nothing, nothing, it looks good on you!"

"Really?" Len asked sarcastically.

"No."

Rin continued to chuckle in mirth, she had to admit, Len in a pink apron with a heart logo stitched on the side while holding spatula was funny and cute at the same time. That pout he wore on his face only made the scene even more hilarious.

"That's it, no lunch for you, then!"

"Nooo! Wait, I didn't mean it! I take it back! Whatever I said anyway!"

"Hmph, I'll reconsider, _if _you behave." Tutted Len, waving his spatula as if reprimanding a child caught in the act.

Rin smirked, already used to their little antics. He usually caved in, and giving him the 'puppy-eyes' and looking innocent also helped a lot. Which was probably one of the reasons why she won arguments more often than not.

Speaking of her brother, he was back in the kitchen, moving about with practiced ease, washing vegetables, chopping meat and stirring pots of boiling soups that sent rich aroma wafting within the confines of the interior, making her mouth water. She looked adoringly at him, at how content he looked, surrounded by things he enjoyed doing. Who cared if he was gentle and soft-hearted? He was her younger twin, someone she trusted with her life, the person she loved most in this world.

That was why she wanted to protect him, as she has done for many years…

….

_*Sob*_

"_Len-tan? Why are you crying?"_

"_Waah! Rin-nee!"_

"_Calm down, and tell me what happened."_

_*Sniff* "Yerin called me a weakling, and hit me!"_

"_Grr, that Yerin… I'll go and teach him a lesson. You stay right here, 'kay?"_

"_Mm-hmm…"_

_Enraged, Rin ran to the park where she found three boys laughing. Recognising the bully, she stalked up to him and yelled, "You made my brother cry, didn't you?"_

"_Hunh? Who're yo-"_

_He never finished the sentence, as Rin struck him hard across the face, leaving a fiery red imprint of her knuckles on his cheek. The bully, having never met any kid who actually hit back, was startled, and as the pain and swelling kicked in started to cry, before running off, his friends running after him. _

_Satisfied, Rin turned and ran back to her brother, grasping his hands with hers as she spoke, "It's okay, Len. Yerin won't bother you anymore!"_

"_Wow, you're the best, nee-chan! You're so strong…"_

_She smiled, looking up at her with adoration, her brother looked sooo cute! "Anything for you, Len-tan!"_

"_Really?"_

"_Yep! I'll protect you, but you have to get stronger as well! Boys are meant to protect girls, ya know?"_

"_But how?"_

"_Um, I dunno, eat lots of veggies?"_

_Len made a face, "Yuck, onions are gross!"_

"_If you want to get stronger, that's what you'll have to do!"_

"_Stronger?"_

"_Yep! You'll get sooo strong someday, that you'll beat up bad guys and be a hero! And then, you can propose to me on your knees with flowers, and we'll get married and live together happily ever after! That's a promise!"_

"_Ew! Marry? Yuck!"_

_Rin harrumphed, "So you don't like me?" _

_That made Len stop. Tentatively he looked at his sister, mortified to see tears welling up in her wide blue eyes. Stuttering, he tried to rectify himself, "N-no, wait! I like you! You're my princess, the number one princess in the whole wide world!" As if to exclaim his point he stretched his arms wide on his side, flailing them as he lost balance and fell on his back. _

_Though he winced in pain, he was relieved to see his sister giggling, and he couldn't help but smile sheepishly. When Rin helped him up, he continued, "A-and, I'll get stronger for you, nee-chan, and then…"_

"_Then what?"_

"_I'll… I'll…!"_

….

"Rin? Rin, you there?"

Len snapped his fingers in her face, bringing her back to the present.

'_Huh, to think we were like that before…' _

"Hey, Len?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Do you remember that promise I had you make when we were kids?"

"Promise?"

"You know, in that sandbox, when you came to me crying after a boy bullied you?"

"Uh…"

Rin sighed, so much for feeling nostalgic. She was a little surprised to find out that she was a little disappointed, though as to why that was she had no idea. "Never mind, just something I remembered, that's all."

Len looked confused, but shrugged it off and turned his attention back to the cooking, his back turned to her. As such, he didn't see the brief look of hurt flashing on her face before it disappeared.

* * *

ooOoo

* * *

"So, I was like, "Noo, that's not it!", and he was like, "You idiot!" so I told him, like, he was the one being an idiot and he storms out, like, he slammed the door, like, really hard!"

Rin drank her orange juice in silence as her friend ranted and vented her frustration, unloading the emotional baggage of her spat with her brother in the conversation.

"I honestly don't understand why he acts like a jerk all the time! You're so lucky, like, your brother's soo cute and good-looking, and he's like, a gentleman! Why can't Gumo act like that for once?!" Gumi sighed in exasperation, waving her hand furiously to express how annoyed she was.

Rin raised a brow, "He wasn't like this before, was he? I mean, the two of you were really close in the past, why the sudden change?" she questioned.

"I don't know, that's what I want to know!" Gumi wailed, burying her face in her hands. "It's like he hates me or something, he won't even stay in the same room as me!"

Rin patted her distraught friend on the back sympathetically. It really was strange, the Megpoid siblings were close like her and Len, joined at the hip and doing everything together and all that. Now, Gumo's sudden cold front and aggressive demeanour drove a wedge between the two, and Gumi was taking it badly.

"I don't get it, what did I do wrong? Why's he pushing me away?" she sobbed, and Rin was thankful that the two were the only ones left in the cafeteria, save for the kindly old chef, who pushed a glass of water and a box of tissue forward, something which they thanked him for.

"No troubles, I've seen my share of high school drama in all the years I've spent as a chef here," he waved it off, patting Gumi affectionately in the head, "Probably not my place to say anything, but to me, it sounds like your brother's having a little problem sortin' out his own mind."

"What do you mean?"

"People act differently when they have someone they like. Some approach them with flowers and sweet words, and some tends to tease and insult whoever they're interested in."

The two girls gaped, "You mean…?"

The chef shrugged, "Who knows? But take it from me, have a sit-down and long talk with your brother, lass. Clear up any misunderstandings, get things sorted out. If you don't, then you'll only drive each other away further. Don't make that mistake, lassie. Alright?"

Gumi sniffed, "Okay, I'll try. Thank you."

The old man smiled, "You're welcome."

As he walked off, Rin turned to Gumi, "He's right, it might be a little awkward but go and talk to Gumo. Who knows, things might turn out better for you both in the long run."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Then I'll come with you, kick his ass and make him talk." Said Rin, cracking her knuckles. She wasn't really joking, either, and Gumi sensed that. "Thanks, Rin."

"No worries."

Rin was glad to see Gumi cheering up, if only a little. In a way they had many things in common, Gumi's parents were often away on worldwide business trips, seldom dropping in to visit their children, leaving them to their own devices. For all intents and purposes, that effectively left Gumo, her older brother by one year, as her only family. Like the Kagamine twins, they grew up together, going shopping together, almost everything. Gumo was caring, always making sure that Gumi was well-fed and taken care of, calling home whenever he was out working late.

So his sudden change in attitude just didn't make any sense. What was going on between the two of them?

"Well, see you tomorrow, Rin-chan. And wish me luck, okay?"

Rin nodded, waving her hand as Gumi walked in the opposite direction. Deciding to leave it up to Gumi to fix the situation, Rin made her own way back home.

It was a little late, the sun was going down, yellow streetlights flashing on, and for the umpteenth time she wished she hadn't dozed off in the class. Sleeping in class wasn't the problem – it was the falling over to the side and causing noise part that got her teacher fuming and kicking her out of the class. After sweeping the teacher's office her arms were so bloody _sore_.

'_Dinner, shower, and some foot – add arm – massage from Len, then sleep.' _That sounded just about heavenly right now, she could practically smell the mouth-watering scents of her brother's fabulous cooking, soaking in hot water and the waves of pleasure running through her body as his long, dextrous fingers worked their magic on loosening her tense spots…

"Mmm, Len…"

"Rin! Thank god!"

Len was running towards her, still in his school uniform, something which was rather odd. Didn't school finish hours ago?

"Len? What are you- Why are you still in your uniform, anyway?"

"I was in the library 'till late, I just got home an hour ago, but you weren't there. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer back, so I was getting worried and I came out here to find you, and-"

"Whoa whoa, Len, slow down. I'm alright, see? I was just late because I had detention, and my phone was in my bag the whole time, so I didn't-"

Len cut her off by sweeping her into his arms, tightly hugging her, which she returned. When he spoke again, she could swear his voice was cracking with unshed tears, "You don't know how much I was worried, after all that attack on the news, I…"

Rubbing his back soothingly, she whispered, "Silly, I'm alright, and I'm sorry I made you worry. So cheer up, okay?"

Trying to hide his sniffs, he smiled, "In that case, you're paying for dinner tonight. I didn't have time to prepare dinner, so we're ordering takeaways. Choose your pick."

Geez, that was fast. "Why you little-! Come here!"

Laughing, the twins playfully ran back home, back to being their usual cheery selves, the cloud of worry and concern driven away from their minds.

* * *

ooOoo

* * *

Meanwhile, on different part of Shibuya, a lone girl watched the stars, leaning against the marble pillar of the luxurious penthouse. Clad in silk kimono pyjamas, the colour matching her unusual shade of hair, Miku Hatsune looked every bit as a daughter of a wealthy, powerful family.

The Hatsune family was one of the founding members of the most influential international media company, Crypton Corporation, as well as being the biggest financial sponsor. Added with the fact that Mizuki's one and only daughter was the company's golden diva, beloved by the public, did much to net in immeasurable wealth. She was their star, her voice was the very thing that captivated many people worldwide, giving the company its much needed recognition.

Ever since tender age of four, singing was her passion, her beautiful clear voice her pride and joy. She loved being the centre of attention, loved and adored by many, getting rich, rich enough to afford such luxury regardless of the expenses. Wealth, fame, talents, she had it all. She thought with all that, she could be happy.

Except that she wasn't. Not really. She still loved singing, she still loved her fans, but she still felt like she was missing something in her life. Like her family.

She wiped a lone tear from her eye, as memories of the past re-surfaced in her mind. Back then, before all this, her family was of average class, but they were content. Loving mother, softly singing as she gently brushed her hair, doting father, smiling whenever he came home, often with small gifts that made them smile, and her troublesome but lovable brother, causing mayhem around the neighbourhood, often managing to drag her into the mess he created.

That all changed on that fateful day, when her beautiful voice was heard by a businessman, an opportunist, searching for the gifted naturals with practiced gaze. Meetings were arranged, deals were struck, and soon Miku found herself up on the stage in the spotlight, dressed in fancy getups and a microphone in her hand.

At first, her family was happy for her – she had a great future ahead of her, and as her family they couldn't help but feel proud. Things took for worse turn when her mother came down with a terminal illness, and Izumi Hatsune was cremated mere weeks later, her ashes scattered on the ocean of her birthplace she loved.

Things went downhill fast. Losing his wife was a crushing blow to his psyche, and tried to drown his sorrows in alcohol. When that didn't work, he buried himself in his work, turning into a cold businessman with no room for useless things like emotions. He lived in his office now, having finally given up the pretence of being part of the loving family.

Her brother, Mikuo, also changed. Gone were his fun-loving, cheerful self, replaced with a delinquent who no longer gave a fuck for anything. His dream of becoming a famous movie director was a thing of the past, buried with his mother, along with his memories, and his kindness with it. She didn't know what he was doing or where he was now, only knowing he showed up in his high school from time to time.

Her family was breaking apart; it was as if the very thing that held them together was gone, and with her absence, so did the familial bonds. When Izumi Hatsune died, so did the happiness of the family.

And now…

"Miku-sama? Pardon me, but your father wishes to see you, he's waiting outside."

Inwardly she cringed, though her impassive mask was securely placed over her features, hiding her anxiety. With a curt nod she moved away from the balcony as the maid held the door open, allowing the guest to enter.

Miku struggled to keep her emotions in check, as Mizuki Hatsune gauged his daughter with cold eyes behind his sharp spectacles, devoid of any warmth. His once vibrant teal hair was now cut short and dull gray, carefully trimmed to give off a neat, clean-cut appearance. Looking at him now, it was hard to even believe this statue was her father, it was as if someone sucked out all the goodness in him, leaving behind a machine.

"Father." Was her curt greeting, to which he returned with a simple nod. Seating himself on the ornate sofa, he took out stacks of paperworks from his suitcase, and went straight to the point, "According to this month's statistics, the average ratings have dropped down by approximately 10.9%, which is greater deviation from what is expected from your performances. Explain yourself."

"You have my deepest apologies, father. I was feeling rather unwell as of late, which greatly hindered my performance quality. I shall endeavour to restore the value and-"

Mizuki raised his hand, interrupting her explanation, "I am not interested in your fanciful excuses, Miku. You're falling low, and that's unacceptable."

The tealette could only grit her teeth and listen in silent anger as he continued his rebuke, "We, the Hatsune family holds great influence over the company, and through it, the international standards. It is vital that we not only meet our demands, but to exceed it, as well. We play important roles, and you attribute your shortcomings to pitiful excuses like illness and ailments?!"

He stood up, disgust and disappointment clear for all to see, "You shall not, "endeavour" to do anything; you _will _improve, and you _will _not fail again. Trying doesn't matter with failure involved, do you understand?!"

"Yes… _father_."

As he made his way towards the door, Miku called out, "F-father, what of Mikuo? Have you heard from him yet?"

"Do not waste your energy on the likes of him; concentrate on your duties instead."

"But, he's your _son_! My _brother_!" Miku cried out in disbelief, how could he be so heartless? It was Mikuo they were talking about, here! Their family!

"Useless wastrel like him is no son of mine." Mizuki answered with contempt.

"Mother would be so disappointed in you, _father_."

"Izumi is dead, it is pointless dwelling on those who no longer exist."

Miku could only gape at him in shock, "I can't believe you're saying this… father, what happened to you? This… this isn't you!"

Her father said nothing, instead choosing to walk out the door, leaving behind a daughter who was crying. Even when he could hear her, not once did he look back, though if one were to see his face carefully, they would see brief flash of remorse and sadness in his eyes.

* * *

ooOoo

* * *

The subway of Tokyo Metro Ginza Line of Shibuya ward was usually filled with people, from early morning to late night. Even now, as the large digital clock read 11:47pm, the subway was still bustling with crowd, though on lesser scale compared to daytime.

Which was why it was rather easy for selected few to lose themselves among the crowd, concealing themselves from the watchful eyes of the security cameras and officers on patrols. The fact that they were wearing hoods over their faces didn't arouse much suspicion either – it was twenty-first century, after all. No one had time or patience to deal with other people.

It was easy, really. Carrying identical backpacks, standard black, most common form to ever be suspected of carrying anything dangerous. Or viral. These 'chosen' individuals would then casually, though strategically, place their backpacks at designated points. It wasn't unusual to see someone leaving behind their belongings on the benches from time to time, after all.

Unsuspecting, those in the vicinity would never know what hit them, seeing how they would lose their consciousness as soon as the sleeping gas worked its magic. And when they all dropped down like flies, the hooded figures would move in like predators, needles filled with strange glowing substance would be injected into the bloodstream of the fallen, circulating around the systematic and pulmonary circulation, around the respiratory organs up to the central nervous system.

Satisfied, these unknown individuals would then take their leave via secret exits, and disappear without traces, as if they didn't even exist. They would then move on from places to places, especially where it was filled with people. The procedure would then be repeated, over and over again.

Hours later, mass investigations would take place, police officers on duty, ambulances rushing back and forth, sirens blaring. The hospital would be filled with the victims, and hovering near them, the hospital staff would panic at how all their hearts stopped beating, unable to figure out their mysterious illness.

Little did anyone know that from that night on, everything changed, and nothing was going to be the same ever again.

* * *

**Okay, so that's the second chapter done and out of the way. Uh, yay?**

**Reviewers:**

**Pandapper: hey, thanks for the review, first within the hour it was posted, too! I see you also started writing a story of your own, I may read it later and give you some reviews myself :)**

**Lynn 'Ne'-chan: Of course, 'cause we just can't get enough of LenXRin pairing - twincest FTW!**

**CherryChirdorin: I already told you, so no need to repeat myself, right? :)**


	3. The Beginning of the End

**Across the Line**

**-The Beginning of the End-**

* * *

It hurt. His whole body, it felt like being stabbed with hot iron, thousand times over, burning sensation flowing through his veins like a slow, agonizing torture. His head throbbed, blood pounding with intensity, making the world spin before his eyes, easily making him topple out of the bed.

He could barely feel the impact as gravity dragged him down to the floor, hard, the sensation of pain overriding any other peripheral sensory perceptions. Something blocked his ears, muffling the sounds as if he was underwater, he didn't even know who was screaming his name.

Rin. His visions were swimming, blurring out whatever he saw in his eyes, though he could just barely make out the blob of yellow and two twinkling blue orbs, which his befuddled mind assumed was Rin. He could just barely feel her soft hand on his brow, then wrapping them around his hand.

He didn't know what was happening to him; not even ten minutes ago he was just fine, his conscience just about to surface from the mystic depth of slumber, when the pain started kicking in. It started off with a very tiny prickling sensation, subtle enough for him to barely notice it, like an itch he couldn't quite place where. Then heat slowly seeped through, until burning pain suddenly flooded every part of his body, the intensity taking him by surprise. The pain seemed to worsen with each passing second, and it reached a point until he just couldn't take it anymore. With a strangled yell of pain he blacked out, into the welcoming embrace of the sweet oblivion.

* * *

Rin didn't know what the hell was going on, Len suddenly dropped down from the bed, jerking her awake from her sleep. Any complaints she had on the verge of her lips died down as she saw her brother, grunting in pain. He was sweating bullets, soaking his night-clothes as his skin turned red, and she could tell that his temperature was rising.

"Len! Bloody hell, you're burning up! Just stay here, I'll get you something!"

She tried to run downstairs for the medicine cabinet, but immediately turned back to Len when he yelled in pain, his voice sounding strangled as if his throat was constricted. Then his body went still, _too _still, his head lolling in the side, and his chest…

He wasn't breathing…

Panic and hysteria ran rampant in her mind, threatening to overtake her rational side. Len couldn't have- how could- this, this was impossible! How could a fever suddenly stop anyone's heart within minutes?!

"Len! Len! C'mon, _breathe_!"

She didn't think twice before she mashed her lips urgently against his, deeply exhaling air through his lips, compressing his heart as she tried to revive his heartbeat. Her motions grew more frantic with each repetitions, as he remained still and unmoving.

Fortunately, just when she was all but on the verge of breaking down, Len coughed weakly, his eyes fluttering open then closing, though this time his chest moved lightly up and down, quietly snoring away.

Rin could only laugh in relief, her tears still running down her cheek as she pressed her ears against his chest, relief swelling deep within her at its rhythmic movements. "You idiot," she whispered, "I'm kicking your ass for making me so worried! But for now…" For now, she would settle for watching him sleep, relatively peaceful compared to the episode not long ago, or even better, make herself comfortable and lie on his chest, listening to his gentle heartbeat as it lulled her to delightful sensation of sleep. It wasn't even fully morning yet and she was already emotionally drained.

With a light yawn, she went back to sleep, subconsciously dragging the blanket from the bed and throwing it over them.

* * *

"…Yeah, so that's what happened. No, he's fine now… I think. …Mm-hmm, I'll let him know when he wakes up. Yeah, sorry about today, we'll talk tomorrow, 'kay? Alright, talk to you later."

_Click. _With that done and out of the way, she could resume her chores, which involved getting her sick incapacitated twin a glass of water, some medications and cool, wet towels. She dared not cooking something up, the last time she went anywhere near the stove ended in a disaster, and she wasn't so keen on getting a repeat performance.

Carefully balancing the items on the tray, she quietly walked up to their shared room, not wanting to disturb his rest. Not that it was necessary; Len was still fast asleep, and looked like he wasn't going to wake up any time soon. Whatever… ailment he was down with sure did put a strain on his body, as she could still feel that his body wasn't fully recovered.

She frowned a little, the unwanted surprises of episode was still fresh clear on her mind, and she could still recall the grimace he wore, as he lay there, twitching and silently screaming in pain, before his…

She shook her head, she didn't want to remember them, lest she broke down crying again. She was a tough girl, strong enough to protect them both. How would he feel if he caught her in her vulnerable moments?

"You idiot, you're still going to get that beating for that stunt you pulled this morning!" Stupid, stupid Len. How could he do this to her, making her so worried, regardless of whether it was intentional or not? Losing their parents was bad enough, and now Len just had to go and do this to her!

Be that as it may, looking at how peaceful he looked in his sleep, she just couldn't stay mad at him, not for long, anyway. A soft smile graced her lips when Len started to murmur in his sleep, though she couldn't help but blush a little when he muttered _her _name.

"Ri-Rin…"

Swiftly she planted a peck on his cheek, her face even redder as she pulled back. It was meant to be an innocent gesture, kissing each other on the cheeks was nothing new to them both, since it was just a way of expressing sibling love.

So why the hell did it feel different this time?

Before she had time to contemplate further, a loud banging on the door drew her attention, and amidst the raucous noise she could detect traces of what sounded a lot like someone groaning…

"Okay, I'm coming! Just wait up a sec!" She called out as the banging grew ever more erratic, and suspicion crept into her mind. Out of her few friends, only Gumi ever had the decency to rudely pound on the door, with the occasional shouting of profanity when Rin didn't get the door fast enough.

_This, _on the other hand, was different. The tempo of the beat on the wood, the intensity, it was all alien, and this whole thing disturbed her, though she was unable to identify what.

She fumbled for the broom leaning against a wardrobe, gripping the handle tight as she tried to remember her training, her eyes fixated on the door. It was better to be safe than sorry, after all. Cautiously she stepped closer to the door, and instead of turning the door handle she decided to peek through the peephole, trying to see just who was causing all the ruckus.

Looking back now, she would realise that this small action was what saved her life. Because the moment her eyes were levelled to the small glass, she screamed out in fear.

* * *

**-_Few hours ago-_**

"…Alright, talk to you later." With that she ended the call, looking somewhat disappointed. It was unfortunate to hear Len suddenly coming down with a fever, despite the fact that they weren't exactly close. Still, he was important to Rin, and that was more than enough for Gumi to accept Len as someone close.

"What's up?" A low voice called out from her side, and she turned to face her brother, Gumo. "Len's sick, so Rin's staying with him to look after him. She just asked me to let the teacher know."

Gumo nodded, "You're looking a little glum, what gives?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to tell her about, you know… _us._"

He paled, "Are you nuts?! Telling her about _us_? She's gonna flip out and soon the whole damn school would know! What's gotten into you!"

Gumi rolled her eyes, "Calm down, onii. It's _Rin _we're talking about, a girl whom I've been close friends with since primary school. She won't spill the beans to anyone, I promise."

Gumo still looked a little hesitant, so she asked softly, "Do you… regret it? You know, about all this?"

"What?! Nonononono! Of course not! I mean…. okay, it's a bit… strange, but…"

"But…?"

"Hah… I… I still don't really understand, it's just, _weird, _you know? I-I like it, but it's like, uh…"

"…Yeah…"

The two siblings shuffled their feet awkwardly, fidgeting as they silently urged each other to say something, _anything_, to break the ice. Nothing happened though, and when the bell rang, wordlessly they walked away, heading to their own classes with restless minds.

During class, Gumi's mind was miles away, or rather, a floor above her, revolving around a guy she never expected to have such relationships with. Her own brother.

It was… frowned upon, morally repulsive, and downright… _wrong. _They were sick, _she _was sick to her very core. It was insane, how could any sane person commit such _sins_? She could already hear them, the mocking laughter, the insults. The world would stand against them, condemning them as sinners, and they would be treated with contempt, even hatred. Their whole lives would be spent in misery, seeking solace in desolate places away from the judgemental scrutiny of the society.

She just didn't understand, love was love, no matter how you looked at it. It was _the _greatest gift given to the living, forming bonds with people, developing the relationships and exchanging happiness and whatnot. Sappy and cheesy as it was, love was what everyone ultimately craved for, wasn't it? Be it mothers' gentle touches or lovers' fleeting caresses, it was what everyone wanted, right?

So why…?

_Plip. Plip. _She didn't realise she was crying, and when the drops pooled on her desk, she got up and without a word dashed out of the class, ignoring the teacher's confused shouting. She just needed to get away for a while, get some time alone to sort it out, at least for now.

She ran blindly through the corridor, not even knowing where she was going. She didn't even stop to see who she ran into, only calling out a hasty apology before running off again.

Up, up, up. She found herself on the school rooftop, the usual place where she and Rin often hung out. Not many students ever came up here, seeing how the rooftop had no guard rails for safety measures, and the level was high enough to guarantee death to the unfortunate who fell off the edge. Not that it ever happened before, though the prospect itself was enough to make most students shy away from the potential hazard site.

Thanks to that, Gumi and Rin could often hang around without being disturbed by unwelcome company, namely Mikuo and his henchmen. She found him a disturbing creep, his 'compliments' were as shallow as his character, and his mirth never reached his eyes, rather, he looked at Rin with undisguised desire, as if she was a prize or a trophy to be claimed.

And of course, his enmity towards Len, the one person who, in Mikuo's perspective, stood in his way, seeing how the Kagamine twins were almost inseparable. Unfortunately, that meant Len was on the receiving end of Mikuo's ire and hostility, and Gumi couldn't help but pity the guy. At least he had Rin to look out for him, otherwise…

The reversal of roles in Kagamine household didn't really bother the younger Megpoid; to be honest she found the whole situation rather funny and cute. The way how they interacted, laughing and squabbling, it almost reminded her of old married couples. Len and Rin were comfortable being around each other, expressing their sibling affection in their own natural ways.

How she wished the same could be said for her and Gumo. Already she missed the days of teasing and playful arguments, when she could simply walk into his room and enjoy interrupting his games, and vice versa. Now, there was something different added to their relationships, and this new change bothered the pair greatly.

It was… complicated, to say the least. Nothing was certain between the two of them; it was as if they were walking on the razor's edge, where even the slightest wrong movement could topple them over.

Gumi groaned, why oh _why _couldn't life just be simple?

_Clang. Clang._

"Huh?" Her gaze turned to the direction of the sound of something hitting against metal from a distance. The source of disturbance seemed to be from a commotion at the school gate, where several people were banging on the iron-wrought gate almost sluggishly. On the other side the gatekeeper, along with few teachers, were shouting at the strange trespassers, though what exactly they were saying she could not quite make out.

The rooftop wasn't exactly the most ideal location to take in the situation, but what she could see baffled her; the group of 'trespassers' were comprised of random assortments of people of different age structures, from a small child in baseball caps, jeans and leather jackets of adolescents, sharply dressed businessmen to hunched form of the elderly. Strange, was it some sort of a protest or something? It didn't look like any form of social gathering she knew of, and, for some reason she couldn't quite place why, the whole scene just seemed… _off_.

The pounding on the gate grew ever more frantic, and was it just her imagination, or did those people just _moaned_?

She saw the gatekeeper shove his hand through the slits between the iron bars, grabbing a fistful of a shirt collar of a businessman, shouting obscenity as the other staff tried to calm him down, at least, that's what it seemed like.

'_Huh, wonder what's going on, why are those people-'_

A scream, one of pain and surprise punctuated her thought and the air, and she watched in muted horror as the gatekeeper drew back, clutching his arms, or what was left of it, in pain. Even from up here, she could still see the small speck of red amongst the field of sand, and the staff backing away from the gate, some tending to the injured man.

'_What the fuck?! Did they just bite his arm off?!'_

If they did… then something was _definitely _wrong with the whole picture. It was just like that cannibal attack incident that took place only few days ago… wait, did this mean that those people-

"What on earth-! He's not breathing!" A teacher shouted as he palpated the wounded man's artery for pulse, then placing his head on the man's chest for clarification. "Call an ambulace! And the police! Those peop-"

Gumi couldn't take her eyes off the scene. What happened then was morbidly captivating, like a horrifying accident she didn't want to watch, but couldn't look away.

The teacher wouldn't have known that the gatekeeper who bled to death would suddenly move again, since if he did, he wouldn't have ended up in such a state. But he didn't, just like how he didn't know that the exsanguinated man he tried to save would sink his teeth on his face, chewing on the pound of flesh as fresh blood spurted on his greyed face.

More blood. It was like watching red paint leaking out of a metal can, pooling on the ground. Whatever she was expecting _this _clearly wasn't it. It wasn't just a simple case of homicide and murder, there was some serious shits involved that freaked her out really bad.

She didn't want to stay here any longer; she wanted to get away, take her brother and run to somewhere safe. Tell Rin. Escape. Those were the main priorities, and school be damned, she dashed down the stairs to find Gumo.

* * *

It was a really shitty day for one redhead. The pack leader, Mikuo, had yet to turn up, mysteriously disappearing on the night when he got his ass handed to him by that blonde bow chick, Dell locked himself in his rooms, doing god-knows-what, and he was here, all alone. And now, some random green-haired chick just ran into him! Retarded idiots!

Akaito didn't even know why he was here, in school, ditching classes and wandering aimlessly around the building. Usually the three of them would crash into one of the unused classrooms, smoking pots and getting high on whatever goods Mikuo managed to get his hands on the night before.

But they weren't here, so there wasn't much for him to do. Luckily for him, he managed to acquire his daily dosage from a shady dealer just last night. He said shady since the dealer had his face covered, but as long as Akaito got his meth he didn't really care who sold it.

Now, where could he go and do it? The unused classroom was on the other side of the building, and the addiction in his psyche was practically screaming at him for the next injection. Shrugging, he decided on the nearby bathroom. Checking to make sure there was no one inside, he made himself comfortable behind the locked cubicle.

Huh, that was strange, he's done meth for years, and not once had he ever seen one that was _green_, and was it the lights playing tricks, or was the substance slightly _glowing_?

"What the hell…?" Was it fake? Fucking asshole! That dealer freakin' ripped him off with a dud!

Eh, whatever. He was pissed enough as it was. The addiction started getting more intense, like an insatiable thirst. Who was he to deny himself what he craved the most? Even if it looked strange…

The gleaming needle punctured his skin, unloading its shimmering green content. At first nothing happened, his mind wasn't on the usual cloud nine after his ritual injection, no floating feeling, nothing.

Then it felt a little warm- no, was it the room, or was it his body that was heating up? He was starting to sweat, he could feel the shirt clinging on to his back. Why was it getting so hot?

He removed his scarf, then his jacket, but the heat still remained. Rather, it was worsening, his skin was visibly red and pink, and it felt like standing next to, no, right inside a roaring flame of a furnace, scorching his body and burning him from inside-out.

He had to lean against the cubicle wall to steady himself, he was so dizzy, almost as if he was drunk, though pleasant numbness of the head induced by alcohol was absent. No, this was different, he panicked. Water, something cool, wet, so hot, burning… he could feel his body crumpling, the door seemingly stretching away from his field of vision, and desperately reached out his hand, clawing at the air as his twitching fingers slowly neared the small metal lock, though in the end, it was all for naught.

No one knew of Akaito's strange demise, and even then it would've hardly mattered, as the peaceful days of daily life people took for granted was soon coming undone.

* * *

"Gumi, what's going on? Where are we going?"

Gumi considered answering the question, but her survival instincts was fully on 'fight-or-flight' alert, and self-preservation was heavily leaning on for the latter. This practically meant 'more running and less talking'. Gumo didn't seem so keen on the idea, bewilderment was the primary emotion running amok for a guy – heck, anyone for that matter – who was literally dragged out of his class without a word of explanation.

"Gumi!"

"Look onii, I can't really explain it right now, but we have to get away from here, _now_! It's too dangerous here, we need to-"

"Whoa, hold up a sec, 'dangerous'? What's going on?"

"Remember those cannibal attacks that took place recently? About how most of the assailants got away? Yeah, I saw it happen, I really did!"

"Gumi, calm down and tell me what you saw. What-"

"I'm not kidding! Those people at the gate, they bit off the gatekeeper's arm, and he in turn attacked a teacher though he was supposed to be dying, no, _dead_, but…"

Gumo looked at her in disbelief. "Gumi, are you okay?"

"I'm NOT joking!" she stomped her foot, "I'm trying to get us out here alive and you're thinking that I'm some sort of a delusional lunatic!"

"No, of course not!"

"I don't believe you, you never believed me! You're lying, you-"

SLAP.

Gumi's eyes widened in disbelief, softly touching her red cheek. She stared at her brother in shock, and was stunned to see such serious look in his face, complete with the deep breathing, "Firstly Gumi, calm the fuck down! You're not thinking straight, take a deep breath, and just cool down for a sec."

Gumo shuffled his feet, looking somewhat embarrassed when he carried on, "A-and for the record I _do _believe you, as I've always done for years. You're my sister, and my only remaining family, how could I _not _trust you, especially with things like this?"

"Y-you remembered? Our childhood promises?"

"That we'll always be together and all that? Of course…"

Despite everything Gumi couldn't help her lips curving up. To think that Gumo actually did remember the good times they shared in their childhood…

"So why did you sound like you didn't believe me?"

Gumo shrugged, "You were the one who dragged me out in the middle of the class without even telling me why, what was I supposed to do?"

"Huh, good point…"

Just then the intercom on the ceiling corner beeped, "Attention, to all students and staff, there has been a case of violent assaults on the school grounds. Please vacate the building through the nearest emergency exits in an orderly formation. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a dri-aaarrrgh!"

"N-noo, nooo! G-get away from me! Stop, don't come any closer! AaaaaaaarrrRRRRGGggghhHH!"

The intercom went silent, until a mixed sound of low growl and a moan resonated through the speaker, accompanied by what ominously sounded like squishing and crunching of flesh and bone under gnawing teeth.

First there was silence, the kind of quiet where you could practically hear the pin dropping on the floor.

Then, there was the cacophony of screams and stampedes of feet reverberating throughout the entire structure. The Megpoid siblings were quick to head for the roof, wanting to get away from the chaos on lower levels.

It truly was a mess, series of stampeding hordes of adolescents running in disorder, and those who lost their balance and tripped were trampled to death under the rushing crowd, some even being pushed over the stair railings or even out the window. Self-preservation overrode all and every other neural inputs, everything else was unnecessary, even unwanted. There was no room for silly things like altruism and morality, no other lives, be it strangers' or friends', was more important than their own.

* * *

Neru and Teto found themselves catching their breaths behind the relative safety of locked door of a bathroom on the second floor, right next to where their class was mere minutes ago. The fact that it was a bathroom for males didn't bother them, at least it provided them some means of protection.

The drill-haired pinkette looked at her best friend whom she spent a decade with. "Neru, we're best friends, right? We'll get through this together, no matter what, right? You'll be with me for anything, right?!"

"Yeah, of course we're-"

Neru's eyes landed on something behind Teto, and stepped back, her eyes wide in silent fear.

"Neru? What is it? What-"The pinkette chose that moment to turn around, only to end up being face-to-face with greyed sunken face of a redhead, with unnatural milky opaque eyes. Groaning the redhead quickly gripped her arms in vice-like grip, and even before she could muster her scream Akaito, or whatever was left of him, buried its ash-blackened teeth on her neck, easily tearing off chunks of her flesh, the pain toppling her over to the floor, with Akaito on top, pinning her down as his gaping jaw continued to take bites.

"Ne-Neru! H-help… m..e…" she gasped in pain, her strength failing and seeping out of her, just like her blood. Her vision was getting blurry, but unfortunately her vision was still functioning enough for her to see Neru, her best friend of ten years, wrenching the door lock open and running away without sparing her a second glance.

"N…Ne…ru…" How could she do this to her? She betrayed her, left her to die! Ten years of friendship, ten years! And Neru just left her… just like that! How could she… _how could she_?!

* * *

The Megpoid siblings fanned out and searched the area for anything that could be used as weapons, though all they could find were broken pieces of wooden poles. It wasn't really surprising, the rooftop was barren save for the large generators and broken bits of chains and wood used for maintenance purpose.

"Found anything?" Gumo called out to no one in particular.

"Nothing! There's nothing of use around here!" a student called out.

"Damn it…" Gumo muttered. Not counting himself and his sister, there was about ten or so other students who took refuge on the roof, and some of them were injured. And there was nothing that could be used as weapons. Fan-bloody-tastic.

"How is it? Does it still hurt?" A student asked her friend, who was clutching her bandage-wrapped knee. Said friend nodded faintly, and Gumo couldn't help but watch as her face grew paler and paler, and he could tell that something was wrong.

"Hey, what's the matter? What's wrong with her?"

"She-she got bit, I think…"

"Wait, she was bitten?! You idiot! Do you realise what happens if you get bitten by a zombie?!" A male student exploded, pointing his finger at the girl.

"Zombies? Are you out of your mind? Zombies don't exist! They're just fiction!"

"Oh yeah? Tell that to the others down there, 'cause they're _totally _just pretending to be flesh-eating monsters and scaring the living shit out of people!"

Gumo decided to step in as the mediator, "Oi! Stop it, both of you! Right now we need to work together to see through this whole mess, not arguing amongst ourselves like a bunch of kids!"

"And who are you? Who died and made you the leader, huh?"

"Look, I think we should just-"

"We need to do something, at least…"

"Hey, hey! Watch it!"

"Oh my god! She's not breathing! Someone! Help!" The girl cried, look of horror plain on her face.

Gumi felt the chill running down her spine at the déjà vu, the scenario was more or less the same…

"No! Get away from her, now!" Gumi found herself shouting, causing the girl to look up. "What…?"

Her dying friend suddenly flicked her eyes open, though instead of shade of hazel brown she always saw, it was sickly opaque white, and before she knew it her former friend was upon her, sinking her teeth into her nose, shattering the cartilages with sickening _crunch_.

"Shit! Ruuuun!"

"Gumi, c'mon! We gotta get out of here!"

"B-but-"

"Come _on!_ There's nothing we can do for her, she's gone! Now let's go!"

Taking her brother's hand they followed the remaining students as they dashed for the door to the stairs, only to skid to a halt when the door crashed open, revealing more of those _things _slowly lumbering their way up.

Behind them, the two girls, plus few others who must've been secretly bitten had already turned into one of _them_, and they too, were slowly shambling towards the trapped living.

"Damn it all to hell! We're trapped!"

"Oh my god, we're all gonna die!"

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck !"

"Gumo…" "Gumi…" The two siblings wrapped themselves into a firm embrace, bracing themselves for the inevitable. It was either by Them or leaping off the roof and falling to their death on to the pavement five levels below. Either way, this was it for the Megpoid siblings.

They never broke apart, even when every other students succumbed to the infection and joined among the Crowd, and soon they were upon the last two of the living among the dead.

* * *

Len bolted out of his bed when he heard Rin screaming, the burning pain shooting through his body shoved to the side of his mind. Finding the stairs down too long, he simply decided to jump the whole thing, and ignore whatever happens to him afterwards. He was vaguely surprised to find that he not only managed the feat uninjured, but almost with ease, as if it was something he's been doing all his life.

Regardless, this revelation could wait – his sister was in danger, and in a form of something he 'knew' as part of popular 'culture' but never expected to be real, right in front of his eyes much less.

'They' were humans, _were_, as everything about them, from their deathly pallor of sickly blend of gray, blue and green tints, with bloodstained pale complexion, lacking different and odd parts of facial and body features, like sliver of yellowed tints of ribcages visible among the ripped patches of skin, or having an entire part of the jaw exposed, hanging by loose strands of bloody muscle strands. Their sunken blackened eye sockets, their dull milky white eyes seeing nothing.

And one of them had Rin in its grasp, its jaws wide open, ready to clamp down on whatever bits of living flesh it could gnaw on. Rin struggled, but she was helpless, and could not stop the rows of infectious rotten teeth inching closer and closer…

"LEN! HELP!"

To this day, Len still wouldn't be able to fully explain what happened to him next. The best he could manage was – feeling? Sensation? – of something breaking, like a wall, or, for some reason, like a seal of sorts. Everything went black, despite his eyes still opened, and the aberrant heat returned at greater intensity than before, though it was replaced with deep ice-cold sensation completely overwhelming him. His mind was completely swamped with something he couldn't quite recognise, and ,nagdalkf;jdlkaf;d….

Then, as soon as it came it was over. Before he was even aware of his actions, his body already propelled itself towards the undead invaders, using the momentum to deliver a hard thrust kick to the side of its head. Surprisingly, it didn't just stop the _thing _from eating his sister, the force behind the kick completely removed it from its neck, the severed head hitting another one behind it.

Grabbing Rin by the hem of her shirt, he, once again to his surprise, bodily threw her to the sofa, though the soft material of the couch prevented her from being injured too badly, just shock.

The sound of ripping fabric didn't register in his mind, as he was too busy grabbing spare frying pans lying around and bashing the ghouls in the head with satisfying _clang _as metal met bones. Tossing the twisted scraps of household appliance at the remaining undeads he reached for the large kitchen knife, vaguely remembering how often he used it to slice and dice protein-rich meat as the glinting steel easily cut through their jaw bones and out the tip of their skull, before kicking it off.

Len didn't even realise he was panting, adrenaline rush coursing through his blood circulation, and only then did his actions finally came back to him, making him slump against the kitchen wall, burying his face in his now bloodied hands as he choked back a sob.

"Len! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Rin asked in concern, crouching beside him and gently rubbing him on the arms as she comforted him from whatever problem he was going through right now.

"I-I don't know, I don't even know why I'm crying!" He laughed in hollowed tone, "I don't know what happened to me, it's like, I can clearly see what happened and yet at the same time everything's a blur, you know?"

"Len…"

"What's going on? What's happening to me? How did I… I-I killed them, th-those people, they-"

"Len. Listen, I don't know why, but they _weren't _human, not anymore. Besides, you saved me! If it wasn't for you, I would've…"

Rin wrapped her arms around his trembling frame, and the two stayed in their embraced form, gradually relaxing and calming frayed nerves by the physical contact from each other's presence. Len eventually stopped sobbing, with only occasional sniffs punctuating the otherwise contented silence.

"There, you feel better?" Rin asked after some time, breaking the embrace to look at her brother in the eye.

"Yeah, thanks Rin." He smiled, which she flashed him one in return. Then his face suddenly turned red and looked away from her, causing her to ask, "What?"

"U-um, your clothes…"

"Huh? My clothes? What about them-" She shrieked when she realised her attire, or rather lack thereof. The orange blouse she wore were hanging in odd lengths, the frontal parts were ripped off, exposing her smooth stomach, all the way up to her bra-clad chest. Len was unsurprised to see even her undergarments were orange-themed, not that he was looking or anything!

"Kyaah!" Embarrased, Rin did her best to cover her exposed frame while frantically searching for something _complete _to wear, while Len dutifully kept his eyes closed and head turned away. Shuffling of fabrics and clothes found Rin dressed in one of his t-shirts, the size tad too big for her smaller, thinner frame.

Len found that he didn't really mind…

"Sorry…" he muttered, all the while wondering how her blouse managed to get into such state, then he realised, it was when he grabbed her by the hem of her shirt to throw her away from the imminent danger, ah right…

"T-that's okay, it wasn't like you meant to do it anyway." Rin was still flushing in embarrassment, though she didn't seem too upset, which was always a good sign for him. Angry Rin was never a good Rin…

It was a bit awkward, especially after the accidental state of undress, but decided to squash it out and went straight to the more concerning matters.

"Just what are those… _things?_"

"I-I don't know, I just heard someone banging on the door, so I tried to see who it was through the peephole, when they suddenly barged in through and- oh Len!"

"Rin, it's okay, I've got you, it's okay. Then what happened?"

Rin sniffled, "That's when you suddenly came down and somehow managed to take them all down. Which reminds me, how did you, you know, did all that? I never knew you could fight!"

"I don't know what happened, my body just sort of… moved on its own, I guess…"

"Wow, really?"

Len nodded, "Shouldn't we, uh, call the police or something? I mean, these-" he gulped, "-people, we uh, need to do something, right?"

Suddenly, they could hear it; the dissonance of distant screeching of metals against asphalt, groaning of metal grinding against metal, chorus of disorganised screams reverberating in the air, the hiss of flame licking up the debris, chained explosion, the sound of rotating blades of choppers hovering above the rising pillars of smoke and ash, all of it.

"Len? Wh-what's going on?" Rin asked in small frightened voice. Len couldn't answer, he couldn't give any when he didn't have any idea just what was happening to the world around them.

"Rin, try flicking the TV on, maybe there's something on…"

With a flip of the remote, the plasma-screen of the TV came to life, all channels displaying the same live news of Tokyo, "_This is Tokyo News Live, and right now the whole city is under emergency lockdown, there is currently a massive outbreak of flesh-eating cannibal attacks happening everywhere around the city. The entire police department themselves cannot handle the situation, as such the army has been dispatched to quell these threats. The Ministry of Defence urge people to stay in their homes, keep the doors locked and windows sealed, and never leave the house under _any _circumstances! In the meantime, conserve food, water and power, and if a family member is injured in any form then get them treated in your own homes! The hospital is flooded with patients, and it's very dangerous outside and-"_

The camera suddenly tilted, landing on the ground on its side on an awkward angle, though it was enough to show the live news reporter being mauled by at least three of _Them_ from behind, and the twins, along with thousands of others watched in horror as blood sprayed on the camera lens, though the audio was left on for the viewers to hear the ghastly sound of pained screaming gurgling in blood drowned by nightmarish sound of _Them _eating flesh of the living, the sound of flesh being torn forcefully, muscles ripping and bones snapping. The sound that would forever haunt them as long as they lived, the sound that they would hear in years to come.

* * *

**Brrraaaaiiinnnsss! I mean, Reeevviiiieeeewwssss!** **Do it nnnnoooooooowwwwwwwww!**


	4. Leap

**Across the Line **

**- Leap -**

* * *

Year 20XX, April 13th. On this fateful day everything started to change, like flickering embers before the great uncontrollable wildfire, consuming all in its path. On this seemingly innocent, normal day the relative peace of life was disturbed and upturned, and the order of the world, of normality of daily lives were shattered, so fragile the strength of humanity.

It was just so surreal, the fictional concepts, only explored as means to amuse, suddenly becoming very real, life-like, though the latter ironically clashed when it came to describing _them_. Deathly pallor, dark rings around the lustreless, hazy eyes, open yet unseeing. Unsteady gaits, stumbling, staggering, never balanced, as if their whole existence was fighting against the equilibrium of the world, as if every movement was a struggle. Torn, dirtied and bloodstained clothes they donned on over their discoloured, decaying and disintegrating shell of mortal lives they left behind, the only thing remaining the mockery of what they lost, and was denied.

_They _were the physical manifestation of humanity's greatest fears, unseen, unheard, unfelt, it slowly crept towards the oblivious and the ignorant, quickly and silently ensnaring them and pulling them down to the dark depth below.

What could anyone – rather, the living as whole – could do against the inevitable? No weapons of the living could cut through what did not have physical existence, no power capable of preventing the unavoidable. Infinity, boundless, continuous… such concepts had no place in the world of existence, the world of living. In the end, everything, _everything,_ would perish, and nothing would remain.

Nothing.

**ooOoo**

There was a saying that it was easier to destroy than to create, and it was true. The simple yet intricate aspects of human lives, the societal hierarchy of laws and regulations, and the steady advancements of civilisation built upon thousands of years worth of skills and knowledge, all came crashing down within matter of days. All that remained was gray, lifeless ruins, the shadow of former glorifying days where civilisation thrived, full of activity and life.

Such was the image of Tokyo, or what was left of it, from what he could see from their bedroom window; pillars of smokes, ashen clouds looming over the desolated cityscape, tall skyscrapers toppled over like a deck of cards, scattering its steel and glass remnants all over its vicinity.

And most of all, the unnatural silence. It was unlike the peaceful silence of the moonlit sky, no, this silence was suffocating, the kind of silence evoked in places devoid of life, instead filled with rustling and shuffling of something worse. Much worse.

They couldn't stay cooped up in their home for long, they had to move, run, get away, as far as they could, seek shelter. It wasn't easy, though, now that the world has drastically changed for the worse, leaving the only safe haven they knew, their home, was… an unpleasant thought, to put it mildly, hence taking up better parts of those 'few days' which they spent contemplating whether to stay or brave the new, harsher world. The second attack from a stray ghoul scratching down at their door served as a wake-up call, and soon they were searching the house, packing essential items which they would take with them. Rolls of tapes, knives, ropes, and tinned food would go in the duffel bag, while computers, TV and other manner of electrical appliances would remain behind, though they were mulling over whether to pack their old radio or not. Len still packed it, anyway, deciding to play safe.

Rin was currently looking over the map, her gaze sliding across wards of Tokyo, the routes, trying to find the best and the shortest way out of the city. Safety was a controversy, speed and quick-thinking was their best friend, if they were to leave the city alive. Especially in such a large city, housing much larger population size.

With all the necessities packed and ready, all they had left to do was wait for the dawn to break.

**ooOoo**

They chose not to set the alarm, with the deathly silence befalling over the city, its shrill noise could reach unwanted ears for a surprisingly long distance. Not that they needed any mechanical timer, with how things were as of late sleep and rest were the furthest things in their minds.

Rin was lying next to her brother, eyes wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling, her hand wrapped around his, as means of reassurance, though it was a little difficult to tell just _who _she was trying to reassure.

The truth was, she was barely holding back the waves of hysteria and emotional breakdown in despair. Everything changed, and so suddenly, too. She was afraid, afraid that they were going to die in this god-forsaken world, afraid of death, of pain, of everything, about _them _lurking about, out there, among the smouldering ruins. She could still vividly recall the first time they knocked down on their door, their rotten, bloody teeth inches away from biting her and tear her apart. It was only thanks to her brother's mysterious newfound strengths that saved her skin, literally.

Len. He was quiet, though his silence wasn't anything unusual. No doubt he was thinking, contemplating the next course of action, where to go for safety, what to do, picking his brains for logical steps, in reasonable order. But she also knew that he was just as afraid as she was, perhaps more. He was less accustomed to the outside world than she was, so even if they were both newcomers to the apocalyptic days, he was bound to feel even more anxious, more than her.

Even so, he was adapting, growing, even. When the shit hit the fan for the first time, _he _was the one who slapped some sense back into her in her momentary bout of panic attack, _he _was the one who… _put them down _after the first lot knocked down their front door (they put it back up, and taped it shut) and saved her life. And Len was the one who held her as she cried, the one who gently rubbed her back in a soothing manner, calming her down. For the first time Len was the one who was taking charge, the protector, and Rin found this… strange, not 'bad' but 'good' kind of strange. It sure did feel a little better, relying on someone for a change, taken care of instead. That, and this funny feeling welled up in her gut whenever he held her in a protective manner, something which she would explore later…

Len's fingers twitched and lightly tightened around hers, and she squeezed back. Nothing more was said as the twins drew reassurance from their contacts as they waited for the dawn.

**ooOoo**

Not for the first time in her life, Miku wished that she devoted more of her time in physical training. As a renowned teen media star, light exercises were more or less routine, having and maintaining slender, attractive frame was a must, had to look good for the cameras, after all. Be that as it may, her exercise coaches didn't include in physical training of more... _intense _standards, one which involved pushing beyond one's limitations and power-building endurance suitable for gradual long-distanced running and fast-paced sprinting, like what she was doing now.

Her leg muscles were so damn sore, her gasps loud as she greedily sucked in air, and her lungs felt like having a whole vat of molten steel shoved down her throat, pooling in every alveoli sacs, slowly melting her respiratory organ inside out. But she had to run, run as far as she could, away from those _things. _

It was unbelievable how quickly the world changed. To think she went to her bed one night, only to wake up to the sound of glass shattering and screams, while red, black and gray rapidly spread across the city from her window. The people, running, screaming, stumbling, dying… it was truly chaos personified, cars upturned, fire breaking out, and gunshots, loud gunshots bouncing off the ruins and debris, and _them_. The fallen.

She wasn't much of a gamer, but zombies were a popular culture in entertainment industry, and there was no mistaking it; the guttural growls, lumbering towards their prey, the primal instinct to feed on the flesh and blood of the living overriding all and every other neural inputs made it clearly obvious.

They didn't run, couldn't run, but they didn't need to. Fatigue, pain, horror and panic, they weren't shackled with biological and emotional chains, they no longer retained their psyche to feel such limitations, unlike those who still had blood flowing through their warm veins, breathing in air, and the ability to feel the tendrils of fear snaking around them. They didn't need to run, because there was no escape. Their prey were backing into a corner, it was only a matter of time.

Miku gasped in pain when she tripped over rocky debris, the cold rough texture of concrete easily scraping her pale, soft skin. Her hands were red, raw and stinging from the impact, and her knee was bleeding. "Oww…"

"G-go away! Get away from me!" She yelled as her pursuers approached her closer, their arms limply outstretched in front of them, limping closer and closer…

Her hands fumbled to search for something, anything to drive them back in her urgency, her fingers squeezed around a small jagged rock which she promptly threw at the nearest one, the stony projectile colliding into a ghoul's head with a small _thunk_, making it pause momentarily before quickly recovering and resuming on its march to its prey.

"No no no… someone! Help!" She didn't want to die, not here, not now, dammit!

Just then, as luck would have it, her salvation appeared… in a form of an ice-cream van. She couldn't help but stare as the automobile in its ridiculous and comical shade of bright pink and brown practically bulldozed its way through the group, sending them flying a good distance away.

The door opened, revealing a gray-haired teen, whose red eyes were looking down at her, and she could see a handgun clutched in his hand, which he was aiming at her. "Who are you? Are you bitten?" He asked coldly.

"Wa-wait! Don't shoot me! I'm-"

"I asked you a question, are you bitten or not?"

"What're you on about? Bitten?"

The teen cocked his gun, making her gulp and inch back in fear. "Listen up, ditz. We don't have time for twenty questions. Either you answer, or we put a bullet in your skull, your choice!"

"Hey hey, Dell, calm down, will ya?" A voice called out, and a tall blue-haired young man came into the view, his cheery mood and light tones stark contrasts to gray-haired teen's cold demeanour. The man crouched down and offered his hand, "You okay, miss? Seems like you had quite a bump, there. Here, take my hand."

Miku accepted the invitation, and stood up, "U-um, thank you…" she muttered, not knowing what to say. Who were these people?

"Ah! Where are my manners? Name's Kaito, Kaito Shion, and this-" he gestured to his companion, who simply glowered in return, "Yeah, whatever. Look, we don't have time for this shit. Let's just hurry up and move!"

"Dell, that's a bit rude, don't you think?" Kaito frowned at his blatancy.

"Hmph, whatever." With that he pocketed the gun back in his jean pocket, and disappeared into the van. Kaito sighed, "Sorry about that, that's just how he is. Don't mind him."

"I-it's okay, I guess…"

"Anyways, er…"

"Oh, sorry about that. It's Miku, Miku Hatsune."

"Right, Miku- wait, you mean, _the _Miku Hatsune? The golden diva of Crypton Media Inc.? That Miku?"

"Yeah, I am. Uh, don't mind me, though!"

"O-okay, if you're sure…Anyways, do you have anywhere you particularly need to go?"

"Not really…"

"Well, in that case, how about you come with us? We were on our way out of Tokyo, anyway. Besides, safety in numbers, right?"

Miku weighed the options, could she trust these people? The gray-haired guy – Dell, if she heard correctly – didn't seem to be the friendly sort, as opposed to this giant teddy bear here. Then again, this blue-haired stranger – Kaito, was it? – could just be putting up a front, for whatever reasons.

But she needed to leave for someplace safe, wherever such sanctuary lied (or even existed) and these two were the only living she encountered since then. There was no way she could fend for herself in this dead-infested city, much less search for her brother and father, even though in the back of her mind, she knew it was almost possible that they were already dead… or much worse.

She decided to accept Kaito's offer – heck, they saved her once already, when they could've simply ignored her and went their way. And besides, if she stayed here she was most certainly going to die; there wasn't much of a choice.

"Okay, um, thank you."

Kaito grinned, "Glad to have you on board, ma'am!" He held the passenger door open for her, "You can take the shotgun!"

Miku shook her head at his clown acts, though she would have been lying if she said she didn't like it.

**ooOoo**

It was a quiet track for the Kagamine twins as they traversed through the mess-clustered street, the route they knew quite well. The once neat pavement was covered in glass shards, fragments of collapsed structures while ashes and other dirt precipitations coated the asphalt road. The same road they often ran across during busy mornings to school, the same road they walked back home, chatting, teasing, and laughing with their friends.

Their favourite bakery, its once bright red roof with its comical sign of bread neatly nestled on top lied disintegrated on the ground, the sign shattered into pieces, cracks running across its steel frame. Its floury specialties never failed to attract customers of various age, the unification of rich aromas of sweet confectionary breads always drawing people in, including the twins. They personally knew the baker, an amorous, generous old man who freely gave them pieces every time they walked in through the door, into the small homely world of cakes and sweets.

Now, it was gone. The warming invitation, the homely rich aromas, the welcoming aura, beckoning them to it, all of it. There was nothing. Nothing.

Just around the corner, their school would soon come into the view, a place vibrant, filled with life, adolescence, high-school drama and romance, a place where teenagers gathered, learning and teaching each other and themselves about things in life that amounted more than simple algebra and literature. A time when relationship issues were their biggest problem, meeting new people, friends, enemies, social interaction was the most pressing concern.

Now, this place, too, had lost it all. Aside from the telltale signs of ruination and decrepitude, there were nothing left. The atmosphere was barren, forgotten, lost. This place, among many, was simply dead, no life, nothing.

"Len?"

"I know, but we can't…"

"….Yeah…" Rin knew it just wasn't possible. As much as she wanted to find her best girl friend, she knew she couldn't. Aside from the fact that the building would be crawling with those Things, she didn't want to see her friend as one of them. Because she knew the moment she did, she would have to kill her, if only to help end Gumi's pain. And Rin didn't want that. She didn't.

"C'mon, let's just keep moving." Len quietly urged, and Rin nodded. Standing here and mourning about what were lost served no purpose in their survival. The least she, they could do was to live, if not for themselves then at least for their friends who lost theirs.

**ooOoo**

It was dark in the spacious room save for the neon shade of blue emanating from what seemed like a cryonic pod that stood in the centre, its dim lighting casting tendrils of shadow over the empty laboratory.

No, the lab wasn't empty; it hasn't been for the last five years. Its sole occupant rested within the coffin of steel and machine, with its sub-zero internal environment providing the cold and ice needed to ensure the said occupant's survival… or preservation.

The door slid open, rays of light flooding into the darkened interior from the opening, and a figure stepped in, obscured in the dim lighting, masking his face. It was a male, not too old, though not too young, rather placed in the awkward transition phase in-between.

The young man walked towards the cryonic chamber, the sound of leather soles against the tiled floor reverberating throughout the desolate room. He stopped before the pod, his gaze fixed on the machinery, or rather, the person within. Slowly he reached his hand forward, lightly touching the glass that separated the two.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" He asked, his tone full of sorrow, "You must be so lonely, being here on your own all this time…"

He sighed, "I hoped things were different, hoped you wouldn't do this. But you did, anyway, and now…"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that there's nothing more I could do. I'm sorry things turned out this way. I'm sorry that that's all I can say to you. I…"

"…I just hope everything works out in the end…"

* * *

**Apologies for the short chapter, the semester is about to begin and huge workload is just around the corner. Yay! :P**


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